P8G-519
by Cookie Creed
Summary: Sheppard's team arrive on P8G-519. Immediately everything is off: there are no people and unexplained scenes of violence. What happened there? Rated M for blood and gore.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The village was silent. Each house had open windows, curtains billowing in the light wind. Only the first rays of the sun gave light to the forlorn place, but even in the light it couldn't be called cheery. There was a distinct air of abandonment and suffering that lingered in every open doorway and every time a tree rustled, seeming to speak to one another.

A crunch pierced the silence as four humans came quietly towards the village. The leader, Colonel Sheppard, shifted uncomfortably and moved into the sunlight. Another man, Ronon Dex, held his gun at the ready while the woman, Teyla Emmagen, moved warily. Lastly, Doctor McKay pulled up at the rear looking at a life-signs detector.

"This place is uber-creepy," Sheppard muttered. He turned to McKay. "You got anything?"

"Nope," McKay replied. "It's just us. Whoever the villagers were, they must have gone."

"A while ago," Ronon cut in, kneeling down. "These tracks are almost faded from the previous rain."

"You know what I'm thinking?" Sheppard continued.

"Michael," McKay, Ronon and Teyla said at the same time.

"This has to be one of those other labs Michael was talking about on New Tarana," McKay said, his voice taking on a hint of excitement. "If we could just find it…"

"I get it," Sheppard nodded. "Can you find any radiation or electrical interference nearby?"

McKay pulled out another device from his vest pocket and fiddled around with it for a second. "Got nothin'."

"Yet," Sheppard told him. "Let's take a look around and see if we can find anything out."

The team split up and took separate areas. Teyla moved to a house and slipped inside, holding her gun up in defence. She moved up the stairs slowly, examining the contents. It seemed that the people here left in a great hurry. There was evidence of a scuffle, things taken hastily from cupboards and a handprint made from dry blood on the opposite wall. Blood marks splattered the ground and there was evidence that someone had been dragged along the ground, back downstairs. Teyla followed the blood trail and found a pool of blood in the kitchen of the house, presumably where the body had lain. Then, strangely enough, another handprint appeared on the ground and bloody footsteps shuffled unevenly from the scene and outside. A shiver ran down her spine and she reached for her radio.

"Colonel Sheppard," she said, "I have evidence of a scuffle. There are blood prints all through this house. Be advised, something came in here and killed someone. It might still be around."

_"Any evidence of what it was?"_

"None. What have you found?"

_"Something pretty similar, only a bit more gruesome."_

Sheppard had gone to the village Hall to find answers. His boots had crunched on the leaves outside ominously, and he didn't know why he wasn't willing to make so much noise. It was like a ghost town. He moved up the stone steps and through the open doors, briefly noting the claw and blood marks on the thick wooden door. Inside it was a similar story. Blood coated a painting on the wall and muddy footprints covered the ground. A lot of people had come inside, judging by the direction, milled around for a bit then left. However some of the footprints led further into the building. Sheppard followed them and found a small, well-fortified room near the back. Its door had been ripped off its hinges and more muddy footprints led inside, accompanied by massive blots of dried blood all over the walls.

People had tried to hide in the Hall, and something had come in and killed them.

Teyla contacted him and told him of the building she was in; how there was evidence of a fight and lots of blood.

"I reckon villagers tried to hide in here, but something came in and killed them," Sheppard radioed Teyla. "I've got blood and muddy footprints everywhere. But no bodies."

_"I will keep searching. There might be a clue as to what happened to the villagers in another house."_

"Be advised to take caution," Sheppard said quickly. He then contacted Ronon. "Ronon, you found anything?"

Ronon went to the outskirts of the village and scanned for tracks. He found a lot of footprints leading into the forest and the occasional blood smear on a tree. It unnerved him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. These footprints should have washed away a while ago so there must be something more to it. The only way they wouldn't have washed away is if there were a lot of people walking this way…

_"Ronon, you found anything?"_

He tapped his radio. "I got a lot of tracks leading into the forest and blood on the trees. I think the villagers were either taken this way, or snuck this way."

_"Why's that?"_

"There's no evidence of running. The length of these tracks indicates that they were moving very slowly. And I mean very slowly. There are scuff marks from where feet were dragged in the ground."

_"That's so creepy." _Ronon could swear he felt Sheppard shudder through the radio. _"I'll contact McKay now; you get Teyla and meet us in the square. She's in the houses."_

"Sure thing," Ronon said, tapping his radio again. He stood up and headed back into the village, searching the windows for Teyla. His progress was stopped from a radio from McKay.

_"Guys! I found it!" _McKay said through the radio.

_"Where?" _Sheppard asked.

_"There was this hatch behind the Hall and I went down there. I hit the jackpot. All of Michael's data on his experiments is here. You have to come down here."_

_"Acknowledged," _Sheppard replied. _"Ronon, Teyla, you heard the man. Get down here."_

Shortly after, the four of them stood inside a small space only a few feet underground. McKay was at the only terminal. As well as the terminal, there was an operation table and several cabinets filled with syringes and other medical equipment.

"So, what happened?" Sheppard asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," McKay replied. "It appears that before he experimented with the Iratus Bugs and biology, he went for a virus. This is his log that records his progress in the creation of the virus. It was a failure."

"Did it say why it was a failure?" Ronon asked.

"No! I just assumed, since there are no people here, that it was a failure. I'm not even up to that part of the log yet!"

"Okay, okay," Sheppard groaned. "Just get on with it. I'll radio Weir and ask for assistance."

"We should get a team of Marines out here," Ronon said. "There might still be villagers alive and more manpower means we can find them easier."

"Good idea." Sheppard clapped McKay on the shoulder. "Ronon's with me. Make sure you don't blow anything up while we're gone kids."

"Yeah, yeah," McKay muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Stargate shut down and a team of four Marines came through. They greeted Sheppard and Ronon, standing near the DHD, and went straight to business.

"What can we expect, sir?" Lieutenant Jarett asked. His three men stood silently behind him.

"Listen, Lieutenant," Sheppard murmured. Jarett paused for a second.

"There's nothing to listen to," he said.

"Exactly," Sheppard told him. "We haven't seen a single living thing since getting here. There's evidence of fighting and killing in the village and frankly, all we know is that Michael is the possible cause."

"We'll help you find any survivors, sir," Jarett said, cocking his gun.

By the time the six men reached the underground lab, it was getting dark. "Days are sure quick on this planet," Sheppard muttered. McKay and Teyla were nervous and fidgety when they entered the lab. "So, what did you find?"

McKay shifted. "Well, Michael only worked on this project for a month or so, so there weren't a lot of records. He was trying to create a virus using his hybrid DNA, human DNA and Wraith DNA that would turn humans into hybrids like himself. At first he was just monitoring the making of the virus. Remember, this was probably one of his first experiments."

"Just get to the point!" Ronon growled.

"I'm getting there! Anyway, he decided to test it on a real-live subject. So he captured a guy and brought him here, injected him with the prototype serum and sat down to wait. Barely ten minutes after the injection, the guy started acting weird. He growled and thrashed and tried to bite at Michael. Then the entries stopped. My guess is that the whatever-it-is broke free and Michael only just escaped. The thing climbed out and attacked everyone and ate them all."

Sheppard winced. "That is disgusting. What sort of symptoms?"

"Well, Michael said that the guy's skin went grey and the eyes went white. It kept on growling and biting thin air. But the main thing he pointed out was that the thing seemed intent on biting him and eating him. Then Michael abandoned this research."

"Well, we gotta find these people. Jarett, take your team and go north. We'll go south."

"Yes, sir."

The two teams left the lab and went their separate ways. McKay muttered about having to search at night and Teyla shushed him before facing forward again. Both teams moved slowly, keeping their eyes and ears out for any movement. That thing might still be out there. McKay trembled with nerves and Teyla continued to touch his shoulder for support. He was still afraid of the dark, even after all these years. Maybe it had something to do with walking through an alien planet at night with some evil experiment on the loose.

Going in the opposite direction, Jarett and his men – Lieutenant Farrell, Sergeant Pick and Sergeant Cane – moved slowly as well. Jarett hid his nerves and forged on through this alien planet. Every gust of wind was like an enemy and rustled the vegetation, making it look alive. Every tiny movement sent four guns trained on that area and the silence was like a pillow over the face. Jarett's team was suffocating from nerves.

Suddenly they came out into a clearing and saw someone… the still form of a young woman kneeling down. Jarett raised his gun and approached slowly. Her body moved up and down as she breathed and her hair ruffled in the wind, but other than that she didn't move. Farrell, Pick and Cane stood back while Jarett pushed the woman's shoulder with his gun. She stirred and slowly moved around.

"Hey," he said, "it's okay. You're-"

He broke off when he saw her face. Her skin was grey, her eyes were milky white, and her mouth was covered in blood.

"Oh shi-"

She roared and lunged forward, grabbing his arm. He screamed as she bit down and felt his warm blood coursing down his arm. As he fell, his men opened fire and shot her. She screamed and fell to the ground, bullet wounds in her head and torso, and didn't move. Jarett panted as he pulled himself into a sitting position, holding his bitten arm close to his chest. His men ran up to him and Pick reached up to his radio.

A few miles away, Sheppard's team heard the gunfire. They exchanged glances and ran towards the noise, not caring how much noise they made. When the gunfire ceased Sheppard waited for a radio from one of the men, telling him what had happened. Sure enough, it came shortly after.

_"Sheppard," _Pick said through the radio, _"we got a situation. We came across a woman and she bit Jarett before we gunned her down. Requesting assistance."_

"Assistance is on the way," Sheppard panted. "What's your location?"

_"Two clicks north of the village."_

"We'll be there soon."

When Sheppard's team arrived, Jarett's arm had been patched up by Cane. He sat unsteadily, the shadows under his eyes making his face look gaunt.

"She took out a good chunk of my arm, sir," Jarett said dully. McKay knelt to take a look at the woman and made a sound of alarm.

"This makes no sense," he said. "His test subject was male. How then was this woman affected too?"

"Maybe the villagers were exposed to the virus," Teyla suggested.

"Then in that case, we could be exposed too," Pick pointed out.

"Whatever is going on," Sheppard cut in, "we have to get Jarett back to the Gate. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Maybe a bit too much," Farrell said, leaning in and looking at Jarett's face. "Man, your skin is so pale. Even your eyes have glazed over!"

McKay stilled. "Uh…"

Everyone heard the growl that came from Jarett. McKay reeled back in alarm and crashed into Pick, sending both of them sprawling. Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and Cane raised their weapons, but it was too late. Jarett leapt forward and grabbed Farrell's head with both hands, biting deep into his neck. Farrell screamed and fell back, wrestling with Jarett, trying to push the man/thing away. Jarett clung tighter and began to maul Farrell's neck, ripping at the flesh. Blood splattered on Sheppard and Ronon and they opened fire. Bullets pierced both Jarett and Farrell, killing them both instantly. When the guns stopped, it was silent.

"Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?" Cane gulped.

Sheppard took a deep breath. "Undead."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What are undead?" Ronon asked.

"Undead are people who have died and come back to life, commonly known as zombies. They have no goal except for wandering around and eating anything that lives." McKay looked like he was about to be sick. "If you get bitten by one, you're infected and as good as dead," Sheppard continued. "You'll turn into one of those things – a mindless, unfeeling corpse – unless you get shot in the head. If you shoot them in the head then you kill them."

"We got her in the head, sir," Pick said weakly, gesturing at the woman.

"Alright," Sheppard said, "wrap up these bodies and take them to the village. I'll go to the Gate and radio a Jumper to come pick us up. If the entire village was turned into these things then we should get out of here as quickly as possible and lock this address from the dialling computer."

Ronon, Pick, Cane and Teyla wrapped up the two bodies after Sheppard shot both in the head for good measure. As the bullets impacted with both heads, Sheppard winced. They had been good men. Now they were both dead. Farrell had been killed by his commanding officer, who in turn had been killed by a deadly virus that turned him into an undead. Sheppard was not looking forward to putting that in his report. He had overcome the nightmares a long time ago, since Sumner had died, and he didn't want them to start again. Both men had been as good as dead anyway.

Sheppard turned to the other five. "If anyone gets bitten, tell us. If you don't then you'll put all of us in danger. Then we'd have to- have to make sure you're not a threat."

He could swear that everyone paled; even Ronon. A bite to any of them would be fatal and they would need to be killed before they became a danger. They all knew that. That was why if anyone got bit, they would keep it a secret. No one wanted to be the person on either side of the gun when that happened.

In no time they were in the village, guns held at the ready. Pick and Teyla carried Farrell's body into the Hall first, followed by Sheppard and McKay carrying Jarett's body. They set the bodies down to one side and McKay retched at all the dried blood splattered on the walls.

"This is just nasty," he wheezed, doubling over. "I mean, I've done my fair share of puking, but I have never seen something this gruesome before."

"Don't worry McKay," Ronon said gruffly, "then you're the only one. I've seen worse."

"Me too," Sheppard agreed.

"Me three," Pick and Cane chorused. Teyla merely nodded and peered out the door.

"Perhaps we should try and close it," she suggested.

"Nah," Sheppard shook his head. "I'll be gone and I want someone out there on the lookout."

"I'm going with you," Ronon declared.

Minutes later Sheppard and Ronon were on their way and Cane stood outside where he could be seen. He hadn't wanted to volunteer for this but he couldn't see what else he could do.

The two men moved slowly through the dark trees, barely able to see a few metres in front of them. Only Ronon's expert tracking skills and night vision kept them on the path to the Stargate. He was constantly reaching out to grab Sheppard's arm to steady him.

"How many undead do you think are out there?" Ronon hissed, so quiet that Sheppard could barely hear him.

"I have no idea," Sheppard replied, equally as quietly. "This is the first time we've been to this planet and we got the address from one of our contacts. There could be any number of villagers who are now undead." The word zombies sounded too crude. "I just hope that we don't come across any."

A twig cracked from beneath his foot and they froze. Did anything hear them? The silence was deafening and Sheppard imagined hundreds of undead creeping up on them, using the night as a disguise… reaching out a slimy hand to grasp his arm…

"Sheppard!" Ronon's voice brought him out of his worries and he blinked to clear his head. "There's nothing there. Let's keep on moving."

"You know buddy," Sheppard whispered as they tip-toed forward, "I'm gonna accept that leave when we get back. Some R and R would be nice, especially after this."

"We'll get out of this," Ronon assured him. "Now be quiet and follow my lead."

The two men moved slowly through the forest, constantly peering around into the gloom. It was eerily silent; the wind having dropped off. Not even a leaf rustled and the only movement they could see was their own feet moving. Sheppard's nerves had stretched to the breaking point when he saw the Stargate come into view. What made him stop in his tracks was something he never wanted to see. He had no idea how they were going to radio Atlantis now.

Dozens of undead milled around the Stargate aimlessly, their faces slack. Sheppard couldn't make out their features (not that he wanted to) but the shambling forms gave it away. What were they going to do now?

"Back," Ronon breathed. They stepped back slowly, making only the faintest of sounds, but several heads turned in their direction. All they could do was freeze and hope that the undead would look away. Several tense moments passed. Both men were sick to their stomach with nerves. Then, at long last, the heads turned away and the undead resumed their shuffling. Without hesitation Sheppard and Ronon escaped as quickly as possible.

Back at the Hall, McKay sat as far away from the dead bodies as possible, deep in thought. Teyla and Pick stood stiffly, their ears trained outside, and Cane had moved to the doorway. They were all tense.

"I don't get it," McKay mumbled. "They can't be undead. There's no such thing. They must be some similar kind of thing. Something like… altered brain chemistry to the basic human functions. Dead-like."

"Shh," Pick hissed. "Be quiet."

Cane moved away from the door, his face pale and hands shaking. He collapsed next to McKay. "I am never standing out there alone again," he whimpered. "It's too freaky. Any second I expected to be attacked."

Pick crouched beside Cane and grabbed his arm. This was not a time to break down. They had to focus and wait for Sheppard and Ronon to return. Then hopefully there would be reinforcements and they could get off this godforsaken planet. All anyone wanted was to get back to Atlantis without being bit. Was it too much to ask?

Light footsteps sounded outside and the four of them raised their weapons. Two forms appeared in the doorway, silhouetted by moonlight, walking awkwardly. Sweat formed on McKay's face and he bit back a whimper. Then Sheppard and Ronon slipped through the door and collapsed beside them.

"Did you contact Atlantis?" Pick asked.

"No," Sheppard replied. "There's too many of those damn things hanging around the Gate." He stood and went over to the bodies of his men and ripped off their dog tags, pocketing them. "We can't afford to carry these bodies."

Pick nodded impatiently. "Well, what did you learn?"

"They're attracted to sound," Ronon hissed. "We have to be real quiet."

"That might just work in our favour," McKay said suddenly. "If we can get a really loud sound and stick it somewhere far from the Gate, we could get the undead away and escape then."

"What did you have in mind?" Sheppard asked.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Are you sure this is going to work?" McKay whispered.

They had separated into teams of two – Sheppard and McKay, Ronon and Cane, and Teyla and Pick. Sheppard and McKay went deep into the forest, heading towards the Gate, where they would keep a lookout. Ronon and Cane gave a wide berth to the Gate and went behind it, moving as far away as they could to plant the speakers. Teyla and Pick were the closest to the village, ready to run back if things went awry.

"It's our only chance on such short notice," Sheppard breathed. They moved through the forest as fast as they dared, their hearts pounding in their chests and sweat coating their skin. McKay pulled out his life-signs detector and wound down the volume, silencing it and making it the only light source aside from the moon and stars. Sheppard flung out his arm and both men froze, their eyes fixated on the shambling figure in front of them. It moved along aimlessly, rasping slightly. To and outside observer it looked like an injured person, but to the men it was a deadly killer.

There was no time to wait for a rescue – they all knew that. It would take at least six hours before Weir figured out that something was wrong and sent back-up. They didn't have that kind of time. At any seconds the undead could find them and kill them. All it took was one bite and they were as good as dead.

The undead slowly shuffled away and Sheppard and McKay backed away as quietly as they could manage. Each stick under their boots was an enemy and they waited tensely for one to snap. Their luck couldn't be that good. McKay was panicking and gripped Sheppard's arm tightly, fingers digging into flesh. Sheppard kept silent and his eyes flickered down to the life-signs detector in McKay's hand. He almost froze again, for there were only two life-signs on the screen. The undead were effectively dead, so they had no way of tracking them. Great. Just great.

He heard a crunch as McKay backed into a tree. The undead heard it too and rounded on them, its predator instincts kicking in now that there was prey. McKay couldn't stop a whimper from escaping and the undead pounced. It was onto them in seconds and tackled Sheppard, its hands grabbing wildly for something it could grab. Sheppard grunted loudly and lifted his foot, kicking it in the stomach. It fell back and rolled onto its feet, diving for him again. By the time it was on top of him again, Sheppard had his knife out and drove it deep into its head. It gargled and fell limp, and Sheppard pushed it off him before more black blood spurted on his face.

However, when he stood, he had reason to panic. McKay was gone.

Two clicks distance behind them, Teyla's radio crackled.

_"Teyla?" _Sheppard asked. _"Have you seen McKay? I lost him."_

"No," she whispered. "We will keep an eye out."

Pick crawled along. "Did Sheppard and McKay get separated?" he asked, not looking at her.

"I believe so," she replied. "We must stop talking. There might be more of those things nearby."

They moved forward at snail-pace, not only keeping an eye out for undead but McKay as well. Teyla refused to think that he might have been bitten. As impossible as the scientist was, he was still her friend and she didn't like her friends getting hurt. Pick was even warier than she, as his commanding officer and teammate had both been killed by these undead. His muscles trembled and his breathing was uneven, but there wasn't much she could do for him at this point in time.

Even further away, on the other side of the Gate were Ronon and Cane. Both men moved silently and Ronon had the speakers tucked under his left arm. Their job was simple: plant the speakers and get as far away as possible. It was the riskiest as they were the closest to the Gate and the hordes of undead. What a bad time to visit a village with a large population.

"Two more clicks," Cane hissed. His face was white with terror but he forced down his fear with his determination for survival. Ronon's mind was focussed on the mission; he had no time for fear. Everyone else could panic, but he could be counted on to remain cool under threat of death. He used the moon and wind to determine the direction and Cane followed him without questioning. This wasn't the time for questions.

_"Ronon." _Sheppard's voice was quiet as he spoke through the radio. _"McKay's gone missing. Get into position but don't enact the plan until I find him."_

"Yep," Ronon hissed into his radio. It went silent and Ronon and Cane continued to head further away from the Stargate to plant the device. Every bush the rustled was like undead launching out to kill them and every sound was an enemy's approach. They were constantly on alert for any sign of their enemy, but it was eerily still. No undead had been seen for at least an hour. Where were they?

Something snapped to their left and they both froze, suspicions aroused. The bush it had come from was completely in darkness; an evil omen as far as anyone was concerned. They both raised their weapons and moved closer. It shook and Cane nearly jumped, but he held his ground. There was a crunching sound, as if something was getting to its feet, and Ronon grabbed Cane, hauling him back behind him.

An undead flew out of the bush and sailed through the air where Cane had just been standing. It hit the ground hard and rounded on where Ronon and Cane stood, but a well-aimed blast from the barrel of Ronon's gun silenced the feral snarl coming from its throat.

"Thanks," Cane gulped, pressing a hand to his chest. He didn't need to say anymore. If Ronon hadn't pulled him back then he would be dead.

"Just watch it next time," Ronon hissed. He let go of Cane's jacket and continued on, Cane following closely. They were more aware than before.

Teyla and Pick reached their spot and hunkered down, crawling into bushes and laying side-by-side. Their breathing was shallow and neither had been more scared in their life than they were at this very moment.

"Do you think Sheppard found McKay?" Pick breathed.

"Not yet," Teyla replied. "The plan has not been enacted yet. We will know when it has." She tapped her radio. "We are in position." There was no reply, but they didn't expect one. Ronon and Cane were on their own mission, while Sheppard was searching for McKay. The scientist was probably hiding somewhere he thought was safe. Teyla's eyes widened. The village!

"What?" Pick whispered as she reached for her radio again.

"Colonel Sheppard," she murmured. "I believe I know where Doctor McKay is hiding."

_"Where?" _came the curt reply.

"He is somewhere he thinks is safe. He is in the village."

_"You better be right about this."_

Sheppard cut the transmission and changed direction, heading towards the village on the moonlit horizon. He hoped that Teyla was right in her assumption, because if McKay wasn't there then he had no idea where he was.

"McKay," he whispered. "Come in." There was no reply and a second later his foot crunched against something. He winced and froze, his eyes darting around him. Whatever he stepped on hadn't sounded like a branch or twig. Slowly, he bent down and felt the ground where he'd just stepped. His fingers closed around something and he picked it up. He swore. It was McKay's radio. Of all the things that could have happened, the fool had to drop his radio as he fled. He shoved the radio in his vet pocket and continued on, ignoring the surge of anger. Of course he had to drop his radio, just as he'd had to run away. This mission wasn't going as planned at all.

Nothing stirred as he crept through the village. This time he was aware of the rusty smell of dried blood and wrinkled his nose. He drew his knife and held it in one hand and his P-90 in the other, just in case there were undead there. The streets were eerily silent, doors swaying and the dark squares of windows stared down at him creepily. A shiver ran up his spine and his breath hitched.

"No," he breathed. "Panicking isn't going to help McKay. I have to find him."

He steadied his resolve and approached the Hall, staring at the ominous open door. It seemed to laugh at him, telling him how foolish it would be to search for someone who was likely dead. Fresh muddy bootprints led inside and Sheppard was begging for McKay to be inside. He slid through the door and squinted at the dim light inside. The two straight shapes of Jarett' and Farrell's wrapped bodies were clear, but there was another shape, curled up in front of them and clutching at them.

Sheppard raised his gun. "McKay."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The second he said it, Sheppard regretted it. He became aware of a moist chewing sound and raspy breath. Then he noticed how the shape was clutching Farrell's arm to his mouth, and that was something McKay would never do.

The undead looked up as Sheppard spoke. Even in the dim light he could see the dark blood dripping down its fetid mouth. Its eyes reflected the moonlight coming through the open doorway and he could see the dullness in its gaze. As it rushed forward, Sheppard braced himself and drove the knife deep into its head. It rasped briefly and collapsed, rolling onto its side. This time the blood fell on Sheppard's hands and they shook as he wiped them on his pants.

McKay would have seen the undead and fled. So where would he go? Why was an undead out here by itself? Sheppard knew they hunted in packs – safety in numbers. Where was the second one?

"McKay," he called softly, louder than before. There was no movement and no sound except from the steady dripping of blood from Farrell's arm. It was settled. McKay wasn't here. Where was he?

In a flash of brilliance, he knew. The Hall had been broken into once before, so where would McKay think he was safe? Sheppard almost ran from the Hall but stopped himself just in time. He crept around the large building, eyes scanning for anywhere an undead could hide. As soon as he rounded the corner he halted. A lone undead was standing outside the hatch the led to Michael's lab, snarling softly and swaying. Sheppard snuck up behind it and stabbed it three times. When it fell he looked away from the mangled body and rapped on the hatch.

"McKay, it's me," he rasped. There was a shuffling sound and the hatch swung open to reveal McKay, white with fright and trembling.

"Oh, thank God!" he sobbed. "I didn't know what to do! I ran, and and and I d-dropped my radio and… oh, they were eating the Marines! One saw me and came towards me so I c-came here! It's it's it's the only safe place I c-could think of."

"How did you expect to survive?" Sheppard murmured. "Come on. Ronon should be in position soon. We need to go to the Stargate, and this time, don't run away."

"Okay," McKay whimpered. He crawled out and shut the hatch behind him. Sheppard thrust his hand inside his vest and handed McKay the radio. The scientist looked sheepish as he tucked it behind his ear.

"This is Sheppard," the Colonel said quietly. "I've got McKay and we're heading back into position. Transmit progress if you're able."

Teyla and Pick, lying in the bushes, heard the transmission and breathed a sigh of relief.

_"This is Teyla." _Sheppard grabbed McKay's arm and dragged him out of the village. _"We are in position."_

Further out, Ronon jammed the speakers into the ground and stood as Cane turned three-hundred and sixty degrees.

_"This is Ronon. We've got the speakers in place and are beginning to move as far away as possible."_

Sheppard and McKay moved quicker than before. All they wanted to do was get off this forsaken planet and back to the safety of Atlantis without getting bit. McKay moved with a new determination and colour slowly made its way back into his face.

Abruptly, the light changed. It went from almost pitch black to a dull grey. They had been up all night and their bodies were feeling it. Sheppard was bone-tired from the physical exertion as well as the raw terror and ready to leave. McKay had suffered worse from his run and even though the trembling had dialled down, he still shook slightly.

Ronon and Cane moved around to one side of the Stargate, making sure the speakers weren't in between them and the undead milling around the Stargate. Undoubtedly it was the activity of two open wormholes that had drawn them there in the first place. They climbed up a tall tree and curled up on the branches, not moving so that they wouldn't accidentally make a noise.

Teyla and Pick stayed in their location, waiting for Sheppard to give the plan the go-ahead.

Sheppard and McKay finally reached the area around the Stargate. They crept up a thick tree as quietly as possible for a good vantage point. As soon as they were both secure, Sheppard activated his radio and set it to contact everyone.

"This is Sheppard," he said. "Is everyone in position?"

_"Ronon and Cane in position."_

_"Teyla and Pick in position."_

"Then let's confuse these suckers."

Seconds later, heavy metal rock began blaring from the speakers that McKay had tweaked. It was louder than it had ever been. Everyone had wondered why Sheppard had the speakers in his pack, but they didn't question it. Those speakers could save their lives.

The sound caused every undead to flick up their head and bound away. In minutes they were all gone and the Stargate was clear.

"This is Sheppard. Everyone move in on the Gate!"

Sheppard and McKay leapt down from their tree and ran for the Gate, their legs working harder than ever. All the while Ronon and Cane had jumped down and headed to the Gate too. Teyla and Pick were the fastest and ran from their position, knives out in case they came across any stragglers. None of them had ever run so fast, not even Ronon who had run from the Wraith for seven years. This time it was even worse, because the Wraith could think. These beings thought nothing except for the need to feed.

Sheppard and McKay reached the Stargate first. McKay whimpered and began to dial as fast as his shaking arms would allow. Then the other four burst from the trees at the exact same time, racing up to join the two at the DHD.

"Go, go, go!" Sheppard urged.

"I'm going!" McKay wailed.

"Incoming!"

Everyone but McKay turned at Ronon's shout. They commotion of human noise had attracted several undead, all of whom were advancing on the group from the tree line. There was the _whoosh_ as the wormhole connected and the six of them bolted for the Stargate – their saviour. The undead picked up pace as their meal disappeared – _whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. _Then it was gone. Figuring that they could get their meal if they followed, dozens stumbled through the Gate.

On the Atlantis Gateroom floor Sheppard screamed: "ACTIVATE THE GODDAMN SHIELD!"

A second later it activated and everyone watched as impact after impact disintegrated against the shield. McKay started crying and curled up in a foetal position, wrapping his arms around his knees. His cries echoed through the Gateroom as the wormhole disconnected, finalising their lucky escape.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Six Atlantis personnel lay in beds in a secluded part of the Infirmary. They all curled up in their beds, not speaking, most of them attempting to sleep. Beckett was worried about them. They hadn't given their official report yet, but Sheppard had given the two sets of dog tags to Weir when they got back, before going to the Infirmary. McKay had been in shock and no one was talking. They were as silent as the grave.

Teyla whimpered in her sleep and pressed a hand to her head. Beckett leapt to his feet and rushed over, but she was sitting up and panting.

"Teyla, are you alright love?" he asked, gently touching her arm. Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head. No wonder. The six of them had turned up in the Gateroom shocked, frightened, pale and covered in blood and muck. Two Marines had to pick up McKay and put him on a stretcher because he refused to do anything but curl up into a ball and sob. Ronon and Sheppard snapped at anyone who came near them and Teyla stayed silent and glared. Cane and Pick ignored all questions and just sat there, staring at the wall. Needless to say, everyone was worried.

As soon as Beckett was gone, Teyla leant over to Sheppard's bed, holding out her hand. He looked at her steadily and took it, squeezing it.

"Nightmare?" he asked softly.

"The worst," she said thickly, wiping her face with her free hand. "I still see Jarett as one of those things and feel the fear. How do you cope?"

"I look on the bright side. We made it out."

"Do any of us carry the virus that Michael made?"

"No. Beckett said our blood was clean. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to talk about this in a mission briefing."

"I do not either. It's too… awful to talk about."

Ronon rolled over and faced them from his bed on Sheppard's other side. "My nightmares were never this bad," he admitted. "I don't know if it was because I'd never been so scared, or that we'd had to kill two of our men."

McKay whimpered in his sleep. "No! Get away!" Teyla let go of Sheppard's hand, grabbed her drip and carried it over to McKay's bed. She sat near his head and rested her arm over his shoulders gently, giving him something to latch onto. Sheppard was reminded of the undead chewing on Farrell's arm, but pushed the ugly memory aside. He and Ronon both stood and pulled chairs beside McKay's bed, sitting still and letting him know that they were there.

When he woke, he saw the familiar faces of his team and relaxed. "You guys had nightmares too, huh?" He tried to look cocky, but failed. There was no point at faking confidence. They had all been terrified out of their wits by walking through a dense forest at night, surrounded by undead with a taste for human flesh.

"We thought you might like the company," Teyla said simply.

When the sun on Atlantis rose, the tension relaxed a bit. Cane and Pick joined the team around McKay's bed and they were all still there when Beckett in to check on them.

"Oh, you're all up?" He blinked as they all fixed him with a tortured stare. "Uh, well, if you're feeling up to it, Doctor Weir would like to come down and receive your official mission report."

"Sure," Sheppard said. They all climbed into the respective beds, feeling a little better now that it was light. It hadn't helped that it was dark when they got back on Atlantis. Now the sun was up, it banished most of the memories of P8G-519. Especially the raw terror of what was lurking in the dark.

Weir came in soon after, worry etched in the lines on her face. She sat beside Teyla's bed and watched them warily. "What happened?" she asked.

Sheppard glanced outside. The sun was there, encouraging him and letting him know that it was okay. His team smiled supportively and he found the courage to talk. He told her of how they'd found the village without people, the unexplained blood and tracks, and Michael's lab. He told her how they'd got another team out there and split up to see if they could find any villagers. He told her how Jarett had been bitten by a woman who turned out to be an undead, then he himself became one and attacked Farrell. He told her how they killed both men and were forced to leave them on the planet after it became clear that they couldn't afford to carry them, taking their dog tags instead. He told her how they'd come up with a plan to draw the undead away from the Stargate, but when he and McKay were getting into position they were attacked and the scientist fled in terror. He told her of the search for McKay, finding an undead gnawing on Farrell and eventually rescuing McKay from Michael's lab. He told her how Ronon and Cane had been attacked on the way and were eventually able to set the trap and get into position. He told her how they drew the undead away and escaped through the Stargate without bringing the virus to Atlantis.

Members of his team added to the report when Sheppard forgot something, and often they spoke of the terror. Weir was surprised to find that the villagers had become undead, as she didn't believe in such things. She didn't want to believe them, but their faces weren't those of liars. They were faces of humans who had been tortured by fear. Cane and Pick mourned for the loss of Jarett and Farrell; their friends. There wasn't much she could do about that. All she could do was try to support them and get them back into action as soon as possible.

As for Sheppard's team, she was concerned. They were the fearless leaders of Atlantis, and they'd suffered such terror while off world. Once again, she wasn't sure what to do. She had never been in such a position. But firstly, they all had to visit Heightmeyer.

When Weir left, the six of them fell silent, mourning for the loss of good people. Sheppard could tell that Weir was deeply affected by what they'd said. He knew she would organise a burial for Jarett and Farrell, but they would be using empty caskets. Casualties were to be expected, but not like this.

"Hey Doc!" Sheppard called suddenly. Beckett came trotting over.

"Aye, what's the problem?" he asked.

"I need a favour."

"Tell me."

"I need Caldwell to stop by P8G-519 and wipe out the planet from orbit. I don't want anyone else stumbling onto the planet like we did and becoming one of those things."

"Aye, I'll go let Weir know."

"And Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Beckett smiled and left the Infirmary. Sheppard sighed and leant back against his pillow, feeling a little bit better about himself. At least no one would get caught in the same trap as they had. It was the worst kind of fate.

"Sheppard?"

He turned his head to face Ronon. "Yeah buddy?"

"Those speakers were a lifesaver."

"I know. They were one of my best pairs. I expect you all to chip in and buy me a new set as thanks for saving your butts."

"Fortunately I do not have the means," Teyla smiled faintly.

"I'll but you the whole DJ set if I have to," McKay said softly.

"Pick and I will chip in too," Cane said pointedly. "Hell, we'll even throw a party in your honour!"

"Yeah," Pick agreed. He turned to Cane. "Who do you think will be put into our team now? Neither of us is senior enough to lead our own team."

"I have no idea," Cane sighed. Sheppard thought quickly.

"I could get you assigned to Major Dorsey's team," he offered. "You've proven yourselves to be good under pressure and all that."

"Thank you sir," both men nodded.

The silence descended on the group again as they were each lost in their thoughts. Sheppard's team all shared a look, letting the others know that they would be there for each other. It would take a while to get over the events that happened on P8G-519, but they were a team. They would survive this like they always had – with blank looks and an inappropriate sense of humour.

* * *

**Thank you for reading (and hopefully reviewing) and I hope that the story was satisfying. It was very difficult to write, as I could only write it during the day and I do most of my writing at night, since zombies scare the crap out of me. I am aware that it's similar to the episode 'Whispers', although I didn't realise until after I'd posted the first couple chapters. Thank you ****_sheppardlover985 _****for bringing it to my attention :) Hopefully it's not so unoriginal that you spit hate comments. The idea came to me when I was watching 'The Walking Dead' and it would not leave me alone until it was written and finished.**

**But I hope you enjoyed, and sweet dreams! :)**


End file.
